Sen. Grace Poe is pushing for the approval of a bill creating a single agency in charge of sustainable water management and sanitation amid threats of a prolonged dry spell in Metro Manila and the rest of the country.

During her visit to Bacolod on Tuesday, March 12, Poe said problems in the water sector could be better addressed if there is a uniformed regulatory framework.

Poe had filed Senate Bill 1217 or the proposed Water Regulatory Act seeking to rationalize and streamline functions of various state agencies in terms of water regulation in that the independent body is mandated to set the policy for water supply, sewerage and septage management, issue licenses, and set, review or approve rates. She filed the measure in 2016.

Current systems relating to water supply, management and regulation are fragmented, resulting in ineffective delivery of water and sanitation services, Poe said.

Poe also urged the Department of Agriculture and other government agencies to activate a Task Force El Niño that would identify communities severely impacted by droughts and water shortages.

Metro Manila and nearby provinces experienced water shortage in the past few days due to a critical level in dams while agricultural provinces recorded crop losses this early. El Niño is expected to further intensify in the hottest months of the year.

Poe further stated that communities must not only rely on dams for their water supply and proposed that local government units should have catchment areas or water cisterns to collect rainwater and help communities during summer or droughts.